Welcome to the Camtree Digital Library
The Camtree Digital Library publishes peer-reviewed research reports produced by educators from around the world. Library content is freely available to all readers.
Camtree supports educators to reflect on their practice and conduct research to improve learning in their own contexts and organisations, through its website at https://www.camtree.org. Camtree is based at Hughes Hall, University of Cambridge.
Recent Submissions
Item Enhancing Communication Skills through Vertical Project Lessons: A Research Lesson Study on Life Competency Development(2024)Context: This study was conducted at Laude San Pedro International College, Marbella, Spain, involving a mixed-ability group of Year 3 and Year 5 students. The lesson study took place within the Vertical Project, where students design and lead their own projects, with this cycle focusing on board game creation. The primary aim was to develop students' communication skills as a life competency through structured, collaborative tasks within the project. Aims: The main goals were to enhance students’ communication abilities, particularly in active listening, turn-taking, and collaborative discussions, as well as to foster these skills as part of a broader life competency framework. The study targeted students’ capacity to apply communication skills in teamwork, especially through specific activities and guidelines to facilitate group discussions. Methods: The study implemented a series of three research lessons. In RL1, students discussed and created effective communication guidelines; in RL2, they applied these skills in the group design of their board games; and in RL3, they presented their projects. Observations focused on three case students with differing communication capabilities and needs. Teachers used classroom posters and role-playing demonstrations to reinforce communication guidelines. Feedback was gathered through teacher observations and student interviews. Findings: All students showed progress in communication skills, though the extent varied by individual traits. Active listening, turn-taking, and question-asking improved across the group.. Overall, students found structured practice in communication helpful and engaging, linking it to real-life interactions. Implications: The study highlights the value of explicitly teaching life competencies such as communication within project-based learning. Observations suggest that structured opportunities for practice, role-play, and feedback can support diverse learners in developing communication skills. Teachers may find that incorporating communication guidelines and structured activities can foster collaborative skills, especially in mixed-ability and multilingual classrooms.Item Developing Time-Management Skills with Grade 9 Students(2024)Context: The study was conducted at the International St Jude School in San José, Costa Rica, focusing on a group of 16 Grade 9 students aged 15–16, preparing for International Baccalaureate (IB) applications. The students faced challenges with time management and sleep routines. To address this, gamification, collaborative learning, and reflective practices were employed to foster time management and self-leadership skills. Aims: The research aimed to develop students' abilities to identify and address procrastination, balance time across life domains, and apply effective time management strategies. The specific goals were for students to recognize their time use, create action plans, execute them, and evaluate outcomes, ensuring preparedness for both academic and personal responsibilities. Methods: Three research lessons were implemented, each with distinct objectives. The first analysed students' time allocation across various life areas using data from Habilmind assessments. The second introduced and explored the procrastination cycle, focusing on its stages. The third session emphasized goal setting (short-, medium-, and long-term), creating schedules, and avoiding procrastination through practical tips. Selected case students with diverse behaviours were monitored for detailed insights. Findings: Students gained awareness of their time management habits and the procrastination cycle. They identified areas for improvement, established personal deadlines, and reflected on strategies to avoid procrastination. While progress varied among individuals, most students achieved better planning and task completion. Insights revealed that collaboration-heavy projects were more prone to delays, and students lacked intrinsic motivation in some subjects. Implications: The study suggests that teachers may benefit from modelling time management behaviours and providing explicit instruction on planning and prioritization. Tools like agendas, timers, and goal-setting exercises can be integrated into teaching to support students' self-leadership development. Future lesson designs could further incorporate reflective and applied exercises to enhance internalization of strategies.Item Supporting EFL Classroom Interaction with a Dialogic Coding Framework(2024)Context: This study investigates the integration of dialogic teaching in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms in Türkiye using the Toolkit for Systematic Educational Dialogue Analysis (T-SEDA). Dialogic teaching emphasises student engagement through meaningful interactions that build understanding collaboratively. Despite significant research in dialogic pedagogy, limited studies focus on its application in EFL settings, especially in foreign language preparatory programs in Türkiye. Aims: The research aimed to assess the extent to which classroom interactions in an adult EFL preparatory program were dialogic. It sought to explore how T-SEDA codes could be applied to analyse and enhance classroom dialogue, thereby scaffolding student interactions and contributing to EFL pedagogical practices. Methods: The qualitative case study involved six video-recorded lessons in a Turkish state university, with participants comprising 10 intermediate-level students. Data included transcripts of classroom interactions analysed using four T-SEDA codes: inviting students to build on ideas (IB), building on ideas (B), inviting reasoning (IR), and making reasoning explicit (R). The teacher also established ground rules for talk to facilitate dialogic engagement, which were collaboratively accepted by students. Findings: The application of T-SEDA codes revealed that classroom interactions exhibited dialogic characteristics, with the frequent use of IB and R codes. Dialogic moves encouraged students to elaborate on their ideas, reason their choices, and engage in collaborative discussions. Examples from lessons on topics like happiness and films demonstrated active student participation facilitated by teacher-led and peer-directed dialogic moves. The findings underscore the utility of T-SEDA in identifying and fostering dialogic interactions in EFL contexts. Implications: The study highlights the potential of T-SEDA codes to guide EFL teachers in promoting dialogic teaching. Educators might learn how structured dialogic frameworks can enrich classroom interaction and support foreign language learning. Whilst the study's sample was small, the approach offers insights for adapting dialogic strategies in similar contexts and provides a foundation for further research on their long-term impact on language proficiency.Item 以情景剧翻转课堂融入教育管理学的教学实践案例 (A teaching practice case of integrating educational management into the flipped classroom with a sitcom)(2024)Background: This study aimed to solve teaching problems of the course "Educational Management" for undergraduates majoring in primary education in a university in China. The course content is abstract, and the students' basic knowledge was weak, resulting in low enthusiasm and poor learning outcomes. Objective: The purpose of this study was to combine the flipped classroom model with the teaching of situational comedy, integrate it into the teaching of Educational Management, realize the diversification of teaching forms, and stimulate students' initiative and interest in learning. Method: The research subjects were 103 undergraduates from three classes of the 2023 grade of primary education major. The course content was centred on Chapter 5 "School Management" of the textbook "Modern Education Management". Students were divided into groups to write scripts, rehearse and perform scenes related to topics in education management. This study evaluates the teaching effect through classroom observation and anonymous questionnaire survey. Findings: The teaching of sitcoms effectively condensed complex theoretical knowledge and promoted the improvement of students' innovative thinking and comprehensive quality. There was an increase in student engagement, they were able to take the initiative to learn, and they said that sitcoms made abstract content more lively and interesting. According to the questionnaire survey, more than 90% of students think that sitcom-based teaching was helpful for learning. Implications: Incorporating sitcom-based teaching into higher education courses such as Education Management is a beneficial practice that helps to stimulate students' interest in learning and improve learning outcomes. This approach can inspire other educators to adopt innovative teaching methods that are tailored to the characteristics of their students. At the same time, in order to ensure the teaching evaluation standards and subsequent learning outcomes, teaching design and practice need to be further improved and investigated.Item 多元化教学改革激发高职院校学生课堂学习积极性 (Diversified teaching reform stimulates the enthusiasm for classroom learning among vocational college students)(2024)Background: In vocational colleges, students commonly exhibit deficiencies in academic ability, interest in learning, and academic planning. These factors contribute to a lower level of enthusiasm in classroom learning, severely impacting both student learning outcomes and teaching effectiveness. Aims: This study aims to stimulate the enthusiasm of vocational college students in the course "High-Rise Building Structures" through the implementation of teaching reforms. The core objective is to assess the impact of the reformed teaching methods on student enthusiasm and to provide a reference for teaching practices for vocational college instructors. Methods: The teaching reform in this case study involves three approaches: forming classroom discussion groups, optimizing classroom questioning methods, and utilizing video-assisted teaching. Findings: Analysis of the learning situation following the teaching reforms shows an increase in classroom participation, enhanced learning confidence, and an overall improvement in the learning state of the students. Comparative analysis of final exam scores indicates that the classes that implemented the teaching reforms generally performed better academically than those that did not. The analysis of teaching evaluations also reveals that the majority of students positively endorse the teaching reform methods. Implications: The teaching reforms in this case study have effectively enhanced student enthusiasm for classroom learning, offering valuable insights and references for vocational college teachers in their classroom teaching. However, the practical experience of this study requires further refinement and verification to ensure the universality and effectiveness of the reform methods.
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